Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Major themes in scarlet letter
Revenge in world literature
The scarlet letter significant
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Major themes in scarlet letter
Chapter 21 (XXI) 1. It is Election Day. 2. The marketplace was already bustling with people. There were common settlers, craftsmen, Native Americans, and blacksmiths. Everyone in the town had taken a day off to celebrate and watch the Procession. The celebration had a shadow of the Elizabethan time in which the political leaders, priests, clergymen, and various other people tried to bring in their old tradition within their celebration and clothing. There were a few wrestling matches going on as fighting with staffs going on somewhere else. The most entertaining scene for the people was a fight with swords and shields on the platform of the pillory. English settlers wore dark sullen colors while the Native Americans dressed in embroidered deer skin, belts and beads, feathers, and bows and arrows. Even though they were separate from the English crowd, they weren’t the most “savage” or wild of …show more content…
Chillingworth’s life’s purpose dies along with Dimmesdale. His strength and energy leaves him as he “shrivelled away.” He has made it his life's goal to get revenge on the man who had ruined his life but now that very person was no longer in the world. He wanted to punish Hester’s lover and Pearl’s father, who had wronged him too. With him gone, Chillingworth had no purpose to live and slowly withered away and died. 2. Chillingworth leaves his property to Pearl. I think he realized how much of his life he spent in vain for revenge and punishment. He was betrayed by Hester but Pearl was innocent throughout all of the punishments of her mother’s sin. By giving his property to her, he was getting his peace just like every other character in the book. He tries to make up for at least some of the sins he has committed by helping an innocent person. Dimmesdale confesses while Hester passed away with her lover’s acceptance and her daughter happy. Chillingworth dies knowing he helped an innocent soul, even if it doesn’t make up for all the wrongs he
hoping maybe he would get a confession, but it didn't happen. The two soon lived together, while Chillingworth still prodded. From then on, Dimmesdale's life became miserable. 'Roger Chillingworth's aspect had undergone a remarkable
Years ago, Hester promised Chillingworth to keep his identity a secret, thus allowing him to do evil to Dimmesdale. Chillingworth believes that it was his fate to change from a kind man to a vengeful fiend. He believes that it’s his destiny to take revenge and thus would not stop until he does so.
[having] a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror? (135) at the same time. Hawthorne goes further beyond this description by comparing this sudden outburst of emotion to Satan?s ecstasy by saying that the only factor which ?distinguished [Chillingworth?s] ecstasy from Satan?s was the trait of wonder in it? (135). As the reader delves deeper into the book, we come to the conclusion that Dimmesdale is indeed the father of Pearl, the product of the horrendous sin consummated through Dimmesdale?s and Hester?s illicit affair. This point brings us back to Chillingworth?s reaction to realizing this earlier at the end of chapter ten. Although this shocking news explains why Chillingworth might have been angry or horrified, it does not clarify why Chillingworth did not attempt to murder or poison Dimmesdale whilst he had the chance, especially since the reader knows from a point made by Chillingworth earlier in the book, that after Chillingworth had sought out the man who had an affair with his Hester, he would have his long sought-after revenge (73).
Chillingworth is trying to convince Dimmesdale not to confess he’s Hester’s lover because he’s afraid of losing his source of power. Once Dimmesdale refuses Chillingworth and confesses to everyone, “Old Roger Chillingworth knelt down beside him, with a blank, dull countenance, out of which the life seemed to have deported.” (Hawthorne p. 251) Chillingworth feels worthless and becomes lifeless once Dimmesdale confesses. It’s as if Chillingworth’s soul (or whatever was left of it) left his body and he became nothing. Chillingworth allowed his obsession to consume him so much that once he lost that source, he lost his life. After Dimmesdale’s death, Chillingworth shrivelled away because he no longer felt a need to stay. He’s described as, “This unhappy man [who] had made the very principle of his life to consist in the pursuit and systematic exercise of revenge, and when… there was no more devil’s work on earth for him to do, it only remained for the unhumanized mortal to betake himself whither his Master would find him tasks enough…” (Hawthorne p. 254) Chillingworth was wrapped in a cloak of corruption, and once his revenge was finished, he felt unfulfilled and empty. He allowed his obsession to become his only aspect in
The townspeople first saw Chillingworth as a miracle sent from God to heal Dimmesdale, but they soon saw evil in his face and came to believe that he was “Satan’s emissary” (Hawthorne 101). When Dimmesdale first met Chillingworth, they had an instant connection and became good friends, but after living in the same house, Dimmesdale came to loathe his personal doctor. When talking to Hester and Pearl on the scaffold, the minister says of Chillingworth: “I have a nameless horror of the man” (Hawthorne 123). Hester sees that Chillingworth has changed since she first met him in England. She notices that, “The former aspect of an intellectual and studious man, calm and quiet, which was what she best remembered in him, had altogether vanished, and been succeeded by an eager, searching, almost fierce, yet carefully guarded look” (Hawthorne 132). She knows that she is the cause of this major change, and she tries to convince him to forget his revenge and become a human again. However, he does not listen to Hester, and she sees that he is set in his ways and she moves
As a respected physician, Chillingworth was “a man of skill in all Christian modes of physical science, and li... ... middle of paper ... ... powerful grip over him, dies peacefully, and Chillingworth dies soon after. To plot revenge in any situation is harmful. Chillingworth’s plot of revenge brings the downfall of Dimmesdale, as well as his own.
No matter what Dimmesdale does, or where he goes, he cannot escape the chilling presence of the two. Chillingworth is there to find the truth and he wants to find the man who had an affair with his wife. Suspecting Dimmesdale, Chillingworth strives to be with him at all times. Because Chillingworth is a doctor, and Dimmesdale is obviously sick, it is encouraged that Chillingworth stays with Dimmesdale for health reasons. The idea is turned into reality and Chillingworth moves in with Dimmesdale, never leaving his side. Wanting to escape reality, Hester and Dimmesdale make plans to run away. They would do so by getting on a ship that was set to sail east to England. Considering the idea that one cannot run from there guilt, it is obvious Dimmesdale could not escape his most hindering inner thoughts. Just like Dimmesdale’s guilt would stick with him through his travels, so would Chillingworth. Knowing of their plans, Chillingworth arranges a way to join Dimmesdale and Hester on their escape journey to England. Chillingworth is a clear representative for Dimmesdale's undeniable
...om doing what is right. Chillingworth is actually attempting to keep his essence. He is ruined without his revenge. Defeated, purposeless, Chillingworth soon dies after Dimmesdale's confession. Chillingworth's source of happiness, Hester, has been taken away along with his chance at reprisal.
Throughout the progression of the story, Chillingworth was a character whom the author characterized negatively. The author wrote Chillingworth as a man with “slight deformity of figure” (Hawthorne 57), implying that there were flaws within the character. Moreover, Chillingworth was noted as a character that “violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart” (Hawthorne 185). Overall, Chillingworth was depicted as an ominous figure, thus further suggesting that he is the principal villain of the book. However, it is also crucial to understand that Dimmesdale is as much of an antagonist as Chillingworth. Hawthorne provides subtle implications to reinforce the claim that Dimmesdale is the predominant villain. Throughout the story, Chillingworth did not contribute much to the plot other than to seek revenge. On the other hand, Dimmesdale embedded the five main themes of alienation, guilt, individual versus society, consequences of sin, and initiation to the story. Furthermore, Chillingworth was not a villain by choice, rather, he inevitably became a villain due to the actions of Dimmesdale. Prior to Dimmesdale’s influence, Chillingworth was a man who cared about the welfare of others. It was only after Dimmesdale’s affair with his wife that shifted Chillingworth’s motive for the worse. The juxtaposition between the past and present motives of Chillingworth manifests the idea that Dimmesdale held the utmost importance in the story: without Dimmesdale, Chillingworth would not be a
... Chillingworth is the representation of the punishment that falls on all sinners. Hester, whose daughter and Scarlet Letter are always reminding everyone of her adultery, is always in the open, and has no chance to hide her shame. Dimmesdale, who calls himself a pollution and is so tormented on the inside that he feels the need to physically harm himself by scourging, is eaten from the inside out, and Roger Chillingworth, whom one just saw is a vengeful monster, who swears revenge on the father, and who lives for that single purpose, truly is retribution. These people are tormented by the type of sin they portray, and their punishments last so long, and are so painful (especially in Hester and Dimmesdale’s cases) that anyone could easily make the argument that the literal flames, and the stake that accompanies them, would be preferable punishments for these sinners.
Nothing could rival the requited feelings Chillingworth has towards his sinful wife, Hester; this idea is stressed multiple times throughout the story. Even before he suspected Dimmsdale, during his first encounter with Hester, he speaks his mind about the matter and it’s clear he is angry and vengeful about the illegitimate child. “‘And now, Mistress Prynne... I leave thee alone; alone with thy infant and the Scarlet Letter. How is it, Hester? Doth thy sentence bid thee to wear the token in thy sleep? Art thou not afraid of nightmares and...
The theme Hawthorne builds up in Chillingworth is not simply his pain and torment. It is a more important representation of the weakness in the values of the people in Puritan times, and how their perseverance for "justice" skewed their views on life and forgiveness. Because of his mindset, Chillingworth torments himself with his goal to destroy Dimmesdale just as much as Dimmesdale tortures himself for their seven years together. Chillingworth is ruining his own life and does not realize it, because he no longer sees the value in life as he tries to ruin one.
He wants to damage Dimmesdale more than anyone has ever wanted to hurt their enemy. This need for revenge destroys Chillingworth in the end. His body changes from the anger and he becomes deformed. His heart changes and he becomes miserable and only thinks of how he can ruin Dimmesdale. Chillingworth’s happiness depends on Dimmesdale and Hester’s suffering.
First, he chooses to get revenge on Dimmesdale. In Chapter four he says, “Not the less he shall be mine” (79). He says he will get revenge on Dimmesdale. Second, he spends several years of his life trying to get revenge on Dimmesdale. Because of this he becomes an evil person. Lastly, he spent so much of his life getting revenge on Dimmesdale he has nothing to live for after Dimmesdale dies. After Dimmesdale dies Chillingworth dies a year later. This is how Chillingworth shows the theme that the choices people make determine what they become.
The townspeople absolutely love Roger Chillingworth. They think him to be an open book, and a good physician who so vigorously cares for the ill Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The novel does not revolve around Chillingworth, although he has influence to the outcome of the story. Roger kept his sanity somewhat reasonable because even after knowing that Hester cheated on him, he gives her medicine so that she will get better. The only regrets that Roger has are dedicating his life to his studies, and as a result not marrying at an earlier age. Chillingworth admitted that he did not hold a grudge against Hester, because he deserved to get cheated on. She had told him that she did not love him, but he still forced her to marry him. His evil actually helped people, because it was his evil side that wanted to keep Arthur alive to keep torturing him for his sins. In the end when Reverend Dimmesdale was dying on the gallows with Hester and Pearl at his side, he confessed his sin to the entire town. Roger Chillingworth’s purpose for living had died with Dimmsdale, so his body followed a year